Earlier this year I wrote about Melee Beats and the potential that is there. WELL, it's starting to take shape, and a very pleasing shape at that. Treading the line somewhere between the Junior Boys and the Avalanches, Nic Bertino has put together a song that is both relaxed and dancy but not self-indulgent in the way that some producers can end up getting. The song is kept simple with just one vocal line (This girlhype has got me goin' crazy) but it works well as different instruments float in and out of "Girlhype."
Melee Beats Myspace
Monday, December 31, 2007
Melee Beats - "Girlhype"
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
[F]reeeemix
Portland's globe-trotting, knob-twiddling, dance innovating Yacht is currently offering free downloads of his instrumental tracks. The downloads include his newest album "I Believe in You, Your Magic is Real" and his collabo with The Blow, "Paper Television" as well as some b-sides and a split with Lucky Dragons. These are all instrumentals and all free, mind you, so mix em up, sing your own holiday lyrics over them, whatever!
Team Yacht
Thanks YACHT!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
WORLD RAP CHAMPIONSHIPS
You might be watching basketball now, and good for you, but you might be missing out on the world rap championships starring Portland's own returning Champ Illmaculate of the Sandpeople (opening for Wu Tang on New Year's at the Roseland). The finals are well on their way and Illmac and The Saurus won their battle against the worthy Canadian adversaries Poorich and Kid Twist in a best of three. Now The Saurus and Illmac will go on to face Quest McCody and Marvwon from Detroit who have been "killin" it and destroyed Mad Illz and Parable with their more comedic style. Anyways check it out, it's pretty hilarious.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
hiatus
finals are almost over, so maybe i'll find some time to update more often in the coming weeks. maybe.
in the meantime, here is a video of a band playing a song. the band is called woods, the song is called "night creature". there's something to be said about a recording of a live performance where you don't have to look through a sea of cellphone cameras and sweaty couples making out just to see and hear what the fuck is going on. but that's not the only good thing about it.
woods myspace
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
DoubleDutch - Crumbs
Ahh well. Here it is folks. An early Christmas present from Audiosurface. Umm I'm pleased to say that the first (of many more) songs to be posted directly into this blog is 'Crumbs' from the first DoubleDutch album coming out next month. Rad.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Portland
My inside source for all things DoubleDutchy has affirmed my suspicions that it may well be one of the best albums of 2008, slated to come out in January. The album is done, mixed and mastered and will be coming out on Bang Back records which is a newly launched project that is part of Pinball publishing. There is also talk of our own Boygorilla doing a vinyl release. yum. In other Portland related news:
Kele Goodwin w/ Laura Gibson <-- yes, "lovely"
Can't get enough Starfucker? Try here
And what post would be complete without a video? Heres the new one from The Thermals!
Best of 2007
OMG! Read More!
15. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
14. Sigur Ros – Hvarf-Heim
13. Interpol – Our Love to Admire
12. Feist - The Reminder
11. Beirut - Flying Club Cup
10. Laura Veirs – Saltbreakers
9. Emily Jane White - Dark Undercoat
8. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
7. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
6. Radiohead - In Rainbows
5. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
4. Eskimo and Sons – How Does It Feel To Be Crushed By One Man With The Strength Of A Million? EP
3. Caribou - Andorra
2. Alela Diane - The Pirate’s Gospel (2007 UK release)
1. Menomena - Friend and Foe
there you have it. questions, comments, concerns?
Saturday, December 01, 2007
state of the union
as 2007 winds down, undoubtedly the general consensus will be that it was a great year for music. screenwriters are on strike, immobilizing the tv and movie industry, but the music industry keeps on keeping on. amidst all the bullshit about the state of popular music and the crippling effects of downloading, artists like radiohead have found new ways to turn standard practice on its head and still be successful. and they were able to do something special: inspire real excitement about the music itself. kanye west and 50 cent boosting each other's respective record sales by sharing the same release date? genius. living in portland, the opportunity to see great bands play at smaller shows at houses and clubs is unique. i think we can all agree that seeing kickball playing a sexy, sweaty set in a basement trumps seeing most any band sell out a swanky venue. so, for as much negativity that's swirling around in the music world, there's twice as much positive, amazing material being created. both artists and fans might just have to try just a little bit harder, but, as we've seen, that sort of challenge does pay off.
this video was actually the reason for this post.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Cars & Trains
Today's update features an artist hailing from sunny Portland, OR. His name is Tom Fillep, but he goes by cars & trains. His music draws largely from that anticon/mush sound of Clouddead, Why?, Telephone Jim Jesus and others. In fact, Sole lends his vocal stylings to "The Sky is Clear". The iTunes genre tag calls it electronic/dance. I think you could dance to it, but it would be occuring at half-speed with soft lights pulsating on walls and lots of pillows strewn about. I didn't mean for that to sound so soft-core porn, but it speaks to the mellowww phantasmagoria of the album. The production sounds almost tactile and organic. I imagine it would translate well into an intimate live show.
"Rusty String" is out now on circle into square records.
website
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The Company Kang
Word to dance music popping off at Whitman College. The Company Kang has got some tunes on their myspace and are currently working on their first album entitled "Winter Pimps". Don't miss the Wamp Wamp remix.
The Company Kang
Monday, November 26, 2007
Seabear - I Sing I Swim
Heres a cute little song accompanied by a cute little video from morrmusic's Seabear. The Berlin label's youtube account also has videos posted for Lali Puna (a personal fav. of mine) and cool electronic outfit ISAN among others. In an interesting but probably outdated bit of news, Seabear was said to be sharing a tour bus with Mum. Talk about cute overloading.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Fiery Furnaces - Navy nurse
Yay! Fiery Furnaces! The song is almost as weird as the video. But probably not as weird as that BMSR vid we posted a lil while ago.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
I'm Not There
So there's this movie directed by Todd Haynes with a bunch of different people playing Bob Dylan... yadda yadda movie shmoovie. The soundtrack, however is a x2 disc compilation of covers by bands/people like:
Yo La Tengo
Cat Power
Sufjan Stevens
The Black Keys
Sonic Youth
The Hold Steady
Karen O
Jeff Tweedy
Iron & Wine
Stephen Malkmus
Calexico
+MORE!!
You can listen to the Sufjan Stevens, Cat Power and Calexico songs here
The songs they cover definitely lend themselves to the styles of the artists that are covering them which is comforting, it seems like someone knows what they are doing.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Radiohead > Kiss + Oasis
kids enjoying "In Rainbows"
From a Billboard interview with Gene Simmons:
"Every little college kid, every freshly-scrubbed little kid's face should have been sued off the face of the earth. They should have taken their houses and cars and nipped it right there in the beginning. Those kids are putting 100,000 to a million people out of work. How can you pick on them? They've got freckles. That's a crook. He may as well be wearing a bandit's mask.
Doesn't affect me. But imagine being a new band with dreams of getting on stage and putting out your own record. Forget it.
BUT SOME ARTISTS LIKE RADIOHEAD AND TRENT REZNOR ARE TRYING TO FIND A NEW BUSINESS MODEL.
That doesn't count. You can't pick on one person as an exception. And that's not a business model that works. I open a store and say "Come on in and pay whatever you want." Are you on f---ing crack? Do you really believe that's a business model that works?
And Liam Gallagher talking to Reuters:
"Gallagher, peppering his speech with expletives, told Reuters it would be over his "dead body" before he went into a studio and worked hard to release his work for nothing."
Broken Social Scene on NPR
"Broken Social Scene presents the music of band member Kevin Drew in a full concert, webcast live on NPR.org Nov. 18. The performance from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club will begin at approximately 8 p.m. ET."
sounds like a good way to spend a sunday night.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Dylan's 2007 Top 10!
Well folks 2007 is winding down and what a year it was. Lots of cool things happened, a lot of crazy things happened too. Radiohead shocked the world with their free album, elvis came back, I got a new phone etc. Anyways, here it is. 2007 Top 10*
11. Kickball - Everything Is A Miracle Nothing Is A Miracle Is
10. Feist - The Reminder
9. Sean Price - Jesus Price Superstar
8. Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Release
7. The National - The Boxer
6. Menomena - Friend and Foe
5. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
4. Radiohead - In Rainbows
3. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum
2. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
1. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Yeah so definitely get all of these albums if you don't already have them. They're all good, I promise.
*I can change this because 2007 isn't over, and because maybe I'm forgetting something, and maybe I just want to just cus.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Win, Regine, & The Boss
this video kind of gave me chills. and i don't even listen to bruce springsteen.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
hello! it has been a while. i have heard your eternal clamoring for more audiosurface music-blog-nerdery from my private castle observatory nestled in the blue mountains of eastern washington . so, without further ado, here are new artists or albums i think are worth looking into:
Emily Jane White - Dark Undercoat myspace!
she sounds a lot like cat power. and that is a-ok in my book because i am love with chan. there, i've said it. also, this is her debut album and i can't really believe that.
Sigur Ros - Hvarf-Heim read about it here
new songs, old songs. all amazing, all the time.
Le Loup - The Throne Of The Third Heaven Of The Nations' Millennium General Assembly myspace!
this is a really great album. sort of like the books with more banjo and vocal harmonies.
on an unrelated note, i love learning about outer space and dreaming about iceland.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Black Moth Super Rainbow - "Sun Lips"
holy crap. i don't quite know what to make of this. it's bizarrely compelling, perverse and morbid. i hope mtv somehow finds a way to wedge this in between t-pain and soulja boy videos in the near future.
p.s. thanks pitchfork.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Melee Beats - Bel Esteem
Put your dancing shoes back on. I'm not off this dance shit yet. I've been listening to this album recently and I've decided it is blog worthy, and definitely danceable. The hook in the first song titled "Bel Esteem (Intro)" is "I keep on coming, one more time." So I know Daft Punk has trademarked the "one more time" thing but this just works so well and when the crazy synth solo comes in... hoo boy.
While the album itself is not that impressive, a few of the singles on this album hint at some mighty fine dance music to come. The songs are complete with Daft Punk esque times when the beat falls out and leaves this vocoded out voice singin' bout love and the usual. If you can sit still and listen to this you a stronger person than most I think. "Distraction" has some crazy scottish sounding solo in it that makes it probably the strongest track on the album. Then there's "Wondering". This song is probably the most interesting because it sounds like Daft Punk does live. Imagine homework and human after all being smashed together, by this I mean crunchy guitar arpeggio's over that "buh tst buh tst buh tst buh tst". Umm yeah, then theres Champs, which is pretty much a revamped version of "Short Circuit." Okay, go have some fun with that.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Friday, October 05, 2007
Calvin Harris - I Created Disco
Hey, so lets talk about this album that came out in the US recently. Sound good? no? too bad.
When giving your debut album a title like: "I Created Disco" and putting songs on this album where the chorus might go something like this: "I get all the girls/ I get all the girls" you better be damn good. Calvin Harris is, luckily, damn good.
The album starts out with the song "Merrymaking" some sort of LCD SS Jamie Lidell hybrid about taking drugs at what is presumably Calvin Harris' house. Not sure how I should feel about this but I can tell you one thing, the kid can groove. Without his cocky attitude Harris might not really amount to much but this is exactly the kind of 'tude that dance music needs right now, especially in the wake of groups like Justice and Simian Mobile Disco. On "The Girls" he follows the ultimate recipe for a dance song: simple repitition. But unlike most dance hits out right now, he's got a verse telling some weird story and then one of the best choruses imaginable. Also, he is not afraid to tell girls how to dress, on "Colours" you better have some colour in there. As the album goes on it falls into that new-rave style dance stuff all you kids are into these days. For example "Disco Heat" could have easily been on Mylo's Destroy Rock n Roll. This album's main strengths are it's diversity and it's ability to seemlessly blend together the last 25 or so years of dance music.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
A.O. & C.J. show review.
We met Adrian and Calvin in the radio station about two hours before their show. They had just eaten at Clarette’s and remarked upon the quality of its product (as opposed to the thin porridge they found in Kennewick the night before). After recording a few promotional vignettes about African music and their disappointment in us as a radio station, they left to set up for their show.
We joined them around six or so outside the Metropolis, a live music and art space located on Colville across from Luscious: An Urban Market® and next to the Patisserie. It had reopened with a new name and a more cosmopolitan façade after the Underground went dormant in mid-2006. The space is open and accommodating for small shows despite the lack of a full-sized stage or, from what it appeared, any sound equipment at all. Approximately twenty-five attendees gathered for the occasion, taking the seats neatly arranged against the walls, giving the performers ample space to roam and people to dance. From time to time, audience members left to smoke cigarettes or purchase coffees and teas from Coffee Perk, returning either one cigarette less or several cups of hot beverage more.
At approximately 6:05 pm, Calvin Johnson, owner of K Records and formerly of Beat Happening, Dub Narcotic Sound System and several other bands, took the floor with a single acoustic guitar. Johnson’s set, almost an hour long, consisted largely of songs off of his recent solo albums, What Was Me and Before the Dream Faded, many of which were long and sounded crushingly, inconsolably sad despite his enthusiasm. His distinct baritone filled the tiny room well, creating a mellow, somber, almost funereal atmosphere as he sang songs of longing and told us stories about how Adrian was to perform sans Her Band and about impeaching Dick Cheney.
Adrian Orange (or Age-O, as he likes to call himself now) set up in the corner, above the staircase. Declining to use a microphone stand, he preferred to wedge the mic between his shirt and chest, craning his neck each time he sang. He used loops for both his vocals and rhythm guitar, making his warbling voice and haphazard playing seem slightly less stark. He talked about the Phish and Grateful Dead concerts he supposedly attended in his youth despite the fact that he’s only twenty-one, lamenting the fact that he’d yet to see people dancing like they had then at his shows. His seemingly-endless loops, abrupt stops, and the general feeling of formlessness, however, kept the crowd content with moving as little as possible.
Maybe it was the fact that it was Sunday. Or maybe it was because of the cold, grey atmosphere on the other side of the windows. But the show was exhausting. Kids from town sprawled out across the floor, doodling in their sketchbooks and clapping politely. This was not a show about playing guitars well or making people dance, or even making people smile. The two men from Olympia and Portland rolled through town like musical, vagrant, gypsies and were so understated it was almost as if they were never here at all.
by: Andrew Hall & Kyle Gilkeson
what? what?! WHAT?!!!!
I feel as though I would be doing all loyal audiosurface readers a disservice (I know its the first sentence and I'm already making shit up but whatever) if I did not tell the tale I am about to tell.
As most people in the western world know by now, radiohead's new album will be available to download on Oct. 10th, the actual box set crazy 80$ bonanza wont be happening until later, December that is. So you can download it for free, is this going to turn the industry on its head? Probably not. Because newsflash: You can download pretty much any album ever made for free, that is the magic and beauty and hideousness that is the internet.
I was awoken on that first day in October by what sounded like a girl screaming because she saw a spider. Turns out it was my roommate hyperventilating because the new radiohead album is coming out in 10 days. The radiohead website was not loading properly though because so many people were trying to access it at the same time, if that is any indication of the sales(free album give aways) everyone and their mom will have a copy of In Rainbows.
If the studio versions of the songs are anything like the recordings from their last American tour we are in for some treats.
Tracklisteh:
1. 15 Step
2. Bodysnatchers
3. Nude
4. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
5. All I Need (seriously though, this song could be the only one on here and I would pee my pants
6. Faust Arp
7. Reckoner
8. House of Cards
9. Jigsaw Falling into Place
10. Videotape (this one is wow.)
If you get the boxset you get more stuff too, like x2 but it ends being about 80 bucks. :(
www.radiohead.com
pre order it.
its... free???
whatever.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Adrian Orange & Calvin Johnson
Adrian Orange and Her Band w/ Calvin Johnson
Sunday, September 30th @ 6pm
The Metropolis
$3-5
K Recs in Walla Walla? Count me in.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Sigur Ros - Heima
also from iceland:
"On November 5th 'Heima' will be released as a Special Edition double DVD package with a 104-page book containing stunning photos from the tour. It will also be released as a standard 2-DVD set."
Monday, September 17, 2007
Mum - Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy
Mum has been putting out consistantly good records for the past seven years and part of that has had to do with the fact that they are always expanding their range of sounds. Unlike their former fat-cat counterparts, Sigur Ros(now EMI), they are not afraid to try new things with their sounds. The sampling for one is so seamlessly integrated on this album that you might forget that what you are hearing are samples or field recordings. On GGSP Mum have created somewhat of a collage of themselves at various parts in their career. It feels like past, present, and future mum are all here on this album, each version chiming in its own tasteful aspect. Where this is most present is probably halfway through the album on Marmalade Fires. What starts out as a rather unassuming mess of harplike strings and other random strings and bells with a droning bass behind it soon blossoms into a full-fledged warmth spewing song about who knows what.
As they continue to release solid albums like this one in which they push their own limits but maintain a clear idea of what makes them so likable (the skittering percussion, wacked out vocals, and an amazing understanding of melody) they will undoubtedly be on of the most popular bands to ever have been labeled "experimental".
Caribou - Andorra
Dan Snaith is an extraordinary human being. This is the guy whose moniker “Caribou” was the product of an acid-induced vision quest in the wildest of Canadian backwoods. This is the same guy who earned his Ph.D. in algebraic number theory, just to belittle academics everywhere with claims of making gold records in his spare time. Snaith’s fascination with nature and foreign countries continues on the remarkably lush “Andorra”, but this time he’s thrown people into the equation; girl people, specifically. However, don’t mistake his transition from hammerhead sharks to women named Desiree as losing his edge. These are some of his fiercest songs to date.
There are some humble artists out there that never want to admit that they knew which of their songs would be the hit single. Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses thought people would really dig “Wicked Gil”, but the captivating crescendos of “The Funeral” have become their calling-card. I can’t imagine this naiveté would be possible with the lead track “Melody Day” on “Andorra”. The pulsing, infectious ditty is unmistakably a hit. It’s the aural equivalent of playing the Rainbow Road level in MarioKart64 well into the early hours of the morning. I challenge you to avoid imagining butterflies, birds, or some other cute shit when you hear the twittering flutes and jangling guitars. Snaith has really hit his stride with his vocals too; his voice gently reverberates across each sonic landscape he constructs. And he seems to be inviting the awkward concert round-of-applause-before-the-song-is-actually-over with a late-song lull only to return more ferociously than before. Suffice to say, goodness gracious.
Andorra is one of the sunniest albums you’ll hear all year. Snaith takes the best parts of every post 60’s musical era, and condenses them into roughly four and a half minute audio collages. There are elements of the Beatles (imagine ?uestlove on the drums instead of Mr. Conductor from Shining Time Station) and a heavy dose of psychedelic influences. The rampant use of heavy reverb lends an eerie, ethereal tone that can only described as a true stardust fantasy. Each meticulous arrangement is entirely his own, as Snaith notoriously maintains a death-grip on the production of each song, start to finish. Surprisingly absent are the drums on one of the album’s finest tracks “Desiree”. Barring a few clangs of a triangle, Snaith’s complex, signature drumming is replaced by strings and a hypnotic chant of the stripper-esque moniker. The percussion on “Irene” is entirely drum machine and coupled with the slightly off-kilter melody, it is enjoyably haunting.
It’s remarkable to think that the man formerly known as Manitoba has been able to produce such a consistently excellent level of music on each of his albums. It seems as if he uses any instrument he can get his hands on and seamlessly incorporates it into a distinctly Caribou song. As an album, “Andorra” does not disappoint. Each song seems to exist naturally and cohesively with the rest. My only advice is to play this record before summer’s end for maximum effect.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Gwizski
i was just over at analog giant and came across an artist by the name of Gwizski. this is portland hip-hop at its smoothest.
crack a pabst and bump this track.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Old News
there's a nice little article over on slate.com about the music scene in portland. in addition to being self-congratulatory, the writer maintains an air of indifference that i can appreciate. get too excited and people might actually start to suspect it doesn't rain as much as we claim.
click here!
Plus! A prize for whoever can identify the subjects in the photo above.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Musicfest Nw - Holy Fuck
(thanks pitchfork)
A little while ago I posted a video clip of Holy Fuck on the surface, sadly, I was missing the big picture. Their live show is nothing short of amazing. What is really incredible about their set is that it is extremely tight and loose simultaneously. Everyone in that band knows exactly whats going on and at the same time, you wonder if any of them besides the motorik-esque drummer has a clue. The raw power that spilled forth onto the crowd (that was one of the liveliest I have seen at the crystal ballroom) was fantastic. Crowd surfing, everyone jumping around n shit. I can't wait fo a full-length.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Mum - "They Made Frogs Smoke 'Til They Exploded"
This video has been floating around for a little bit now but thats okay its still worth writing about even if we here at audiosurface aren't able to be the ones that "broke the story of the new mum video omigosh." Anyways, it is pretty crazy, the animation in it is very cool but our main concern is the song. This new mum stuff smells like what critics like to refer to as a "grower"... I dont have time for that these days. I need quick instant satisfaction. Like that new spoon album. oh well here's the video.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Menomena - Video for Evil Bee
So,
If you are one of the best bands currently assembling songs and albums and such for people to put in their ears, you might be asking yourself (as a band) how do we take it to that next level shit?
Have another awesome video for you. fuckin duh.
I cant directly link the player, because pf flyer wants you to buy fall season gear but whatever, just watch the video.
http://pfflyers.com/culture.html
click on the link that says "Play the Video". duh.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Musicfest NW + Nike
wow. nike, you've really impressed me this time. no, it's not a new pair of super-limited edition hi-top gold-plated dunks, but rather a trio of exciting shows made possible by a partnership between the mega-corporation and willamette week.
all shows at audio cinema:
Thursday September 6th, 2007 @ 3:30
Cat Power, Bobby Bare Jr.
Friday September 7th, 2007 @ 5:30
Grizzly Bear, Deerhunter
Saturday September 8th, 2007 @ 5:30
Ghostface Killah, The Bronx
if there was any question that the pacific northwest runs this music shit, this (musicfest nw) should set things right again.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
typhoon
it's been on the internet for a while now, but if you haven't seen it yet, here's a great little video put together by none other than jimmy drunksweat.
TYPHOON
Show Review - 2mex
"this is the second show i've been to this summer that i've felt really bad for the performers"
the first was jana hunter. loud, hostile crowd members peppered her with insults as she morosely plucked and hummed her way through a half hour set. on that night, portland, you embarrassed me.
the second show was last night. clockwerk (gold and iame of sandpeople) kicked shit off to a crowd of about 15 people. c'mon berbati's pan, really? they even delayed the start time a good half hour just so more people could show up. those dudes brought it official anyway, even if people were sparse, sober, and bored. it turns out that demanding people "to throw yer mutherfuckin hands in the air" is a lot easier when they can blend anonymously into the crowd. instead of hands they just got a bunch of sore thumbs. the separation that generally exists between larger-than-life rap persona/bravado and the casual portland hip-hop show attendee was lacking.
but, as the openers came and went, the crowd grew and grew. 2mex was the main event and by the time he took the stage i didn't feel nearly as awkward or guilty. it was my first 2mex experience and he made me an instant fan. dancing and sweating as much as he was rhyming, he displayed moments of real emotion and personality. i realized that maybe it was his honest, "fuck it" attitude that made up of for the night's eariler misfortunes. word to the openers for taking the brunt of the bullshit and trying to warm up our cold northwest hearts for that underground california heat.
Metro Area - Dance Reaction
I was just snoopin around on bleep.com and found this:
Perfect for dance offs and lounging somehow.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Holy Fuck
Every now and again, I'll be minding my own business, checking my e-mail, checking the news, maybe surfin' craigslist when out of nowhere I'll find a band that makes me go... "wait just a minute!" (actually I was checking the schedule for musicfest nw but whatever...) Anyways, this band called "Holy Fuck" is really great. I am very excited to see them open for Wolf Parade on the last day of the festival.
Other highlights of the festivities include:
Spoon
Girl Talk+Clipse+Cool Kids+More
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Kickball - Everythingisamiraclenothingisamiracle
Kickball is easily one of the best bands in the northwest right now. When one is critiquing art its hard to feign objectivity but thats okay because this album doesnt want that. It wants you to get to know it. read: grower. Unlike most albums that grow on you though this one starts out good already and just keeps getting better the better you know it. read: good friend. When Jacob sings "You're a sunset sometimes pretty, oh my god" on 'sometimes' its probably the closest you can get to perfection. Everything on this album feels right, the length (songwise and albumwise) the parts in the songs everything. This far into kickballs existence they have got their un-formulaic formula down pat. On Orion they skate back and forth between breakdowns and something I guess you could call a verse covering similar ground but doing it differently every time, an aspect of kickball that makes them so loveable.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Video: Menomena - "Rotten Hell"
food fights and super slow motion. it's menomena with a new music video and there are some absolutely priceless facial expressions.
for my money, matt and kim did messy food & unrestrained childhood exuberance better in their video for "yea yeah."
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Freeway feat. Jay Z - Big Spender
HOTTT NEW TRAXXXXXX!!!!!!! (seriously, guyz!)
here's one to bump in your rides, bump it outside, Freeway feat. Jay Z - "Big Spender":
and new CARIBOU. from the forthcoming "Andorra," this track pulls no punches, makes no false claims, takes no prisoners, etc...
Caribou - Melody Day
DOWNLOAD THESE TRACKXXX, KIDSZ
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Mirah - Show Review
On Friday, Mirah was in town and she brought along some of her friends. Both openers, Lovers and Mecca Normal were complete unknowns to me, but it being a Mirah show, i made some educated guesses about their respective sounds (probably not death metal, i could safely postulate). Lo and behold, Lovers turned out to be fairly close to the Mirah mold. Guitar slung low and accompanied by only a sparingly used drummer, Carolyn Berk sang songs about love, lovers, and the like. She has a beautiful voice and a delightful way with words; i was pleasantly surprised.
Next was Mecca Normal, comprised of two unassuming, middle aged folks. The first couple songs were about the lead singer's experience with internet dating. This strange woman with an even stranger voice sang scathing, vindictive lyrics from the man's point of view: "i want cold, impersonal sex." All the while, the guitarist, who looked more dentist or shoe salesman than rock star shredded through the set with distortion on high. People laughed at her humorously jaded songwriting and cheered for the old man's rip roaring power solos.
Then, much to the damn-near packed house's delight, the diminutive, cute-as-a-button Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn took the stage. Her supporting cast was a revolving door comprised of members from Spectratone International (with whom she collaborated on her new album) and other friends. "My new album is about insects," she stated proudly. And amidst cello and accordion, she sang about ants, dung beetles, and glow worms. Mirah's always been an exceptional songwriter with an ear for both minutia and grandeur. The pounding, ominous drums of "Cold Cold Water" translated well live, lending that familiar, ominous tone to one of the night's standouts. With the full band, her songs really came alive, and the new material sounded great. Bringing the night to an end, during the encore, Mirah sang a stripped down remix backed only by her drummer's beat-boxing. A treat indeed.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Beastie Boys - Off the Grid
most alliterative moment in audiosurface history coming up in 3..2..1..
"bloggers behold! beastie boys go bizarrely beta band"
Monday, June 04, 2007
Rappers like Dance Music
kanye again. here he is all up in
daft punk's "harder, better, faster, stronger."
rich boy (i dont know who that is) and SMD
abx - i believe you should looka here
24 hour hotcakes
without any school work or even regular work to do, a man can really live a charmed, whimsical existence, free of obligation. granted, none of what i do on a day-to-day basis is useful, productive, or exciting in the slightest. in fact, i haven't felt this ineffectual in a long time. about-face aside, i have been listening to some devastatingly good tunes as of late. and "finding" such music makes me feel just a teensie bit better about myself as a human. not only because i feel as though i'm being a proactive music fan, seeking out music i wouldn't otherwise hear without hitting the streets (internet, that is -- and it IS a superhighway, so i figure the metaphor applies), but also because great music simply has that effect. it's an obsession, but a timeless and not entirely unhealthy one. thus, as someone who cannot create music, i do my best to be an observant, discerning, receptive, and ultimately loving audience.
here are some things i think you should hear.
jordaan mason - housewife part two
stunning. simple, lo-fi, barebones folk with haunting vocals.
jordaan onmyspace.
buy an album here ***even if you don't want to buy his album, click the link and you might want to, after you read what he has to say.***
mirah & spectratone international - gestation of the sacred beetle
new mirah.
buy here
Friday, June 01, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Release
Only one thing could make forget that I had a bunch of crap due today for school. What is that one thing you might ask? Is it girls? or maybe bikes? no? How about money? The answer is none of those, oh no. However if you guessed hard hitting eurotrash dirty enough to give you a handful diseases only the seediest of the seedy in downtown L.A. possess. You'd be right. Not only is this stuff dirty, its filthy. Like Mylo only finer tuned, these guys spruce up the all too often repetitive dreary dance landscape with little treats all throughout. Do I smell humor? "Hotdog" for example probably has the most ridiculous lyrics I have ever heard:
"Lets get the rhythm of the hands, lets get the rhythm of the beat, down down baby, down down baby down, put em together and what do you get? Hotdog!" The album opens with "Sleep Deprivation" which is a perfect title because its the kind of track you would hear in a club full of fog and smoke and neon green lazers in Berlin at 2:45 when you are about to go home but this comes on so you throw back your 13th beer and hit the dance floor with your drunken moves like a boxer. The video for Hustler (another awesome track) is... amazing... youtube it, but ask your parents first because its only for ... boys and lesbians.
Simian Mobile Disco's Myspace
Kanye & Lupe: Indie Rockers?
Stumbled upon a couple of bangers tonight featuring some unexpected samples. 
First one comes from Chicago super-producer/pseudo-rapper Kanye West. West must have been geeking on Pitchfork and other hipster taste-makers lately, as he samples Peter, Bjorn and John's undeniably catchy "Young Folks." It's not so much a sample as it is just adding some playful vocals to a loop of the original hook. I'm not complaining though, it's a refreshing exercise in lightheartedness from the man who did this. You can download it here:Young Folks
Second one comes from Kanye cohort Lupe Fiasco. Thom Yorke's "The Eraser" is sampled here to questionable effect. While the MC's (Fiasco, Kanye, and Pharrell) keep pace with the unorthodox hip hop tempo, I can't help but feel a little put off. It just doesn't feel right. Moreover, how'd they get Yorke to consent to the sample? Radiohead and Co. are notoriously stingy with their music and licensing. Anyhow give it a listen here: US Placers
Saturday, May 26, 2007
summertime
yay! i got tickets to mirah and laura veirs on consecutive nights (june 8&9) at the aladdin! is anyone else going / want to go with me? concert-wise, june is shaping up to be a real dandy. some of the highlights:
june 1st - au revoir simone w/ voxtrot @ the doug fir (get yr fakes, kids)
june 2nd - horse feathers @ the doug fir
june 8th - mirah w/ lovers & mecca normal @ the aladdin
june 9th - laura veirs w/ lake @ the aladdin
june 10th - mice parade @ someday lounge
june 11th - hot chip @ wonder ballroom (dance!)
june 14th - blue scholars @ music millenium (free! hip hop!)
june 15th - architecture in helsinki w/ yacht @ wonder ballroom (dance dance)
june 21st - marnie stern @ holocene
june 22nd - sage francis w/ buck 65 @ roseland
june 24th - great lake swimmers @ holocene
june 25th - feist w/ grizzly bear @ crystal ballroom
goodness gracious.
and, as always, be sure to check the boy gorilla website for all your favorite artists show dates.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Final Pitchfork Festival Line-up Posted
Pitchfork Music Festival
Well, the people over at pitchfork certainly know what's up. Chicago just got that much cooler. And tickets are stupidly cheap. Some highlights:
Sonic Youth
Menomena
GZA
Junior Boys
Iron & Wine
Grizzly Bear
De La Soul
etc.
advanced emo kids
this man is dangerous.
"Emo" is no longer just a silly term to throw around, it's now a serious medical affliction. Apparently, emo is a strikingly new and dangerous concept to those in the Utah news media. While some of the subject matter (cutting, suicide, etc) is not entirely laughable, just about everything else in the video is.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
thirsty thursday
I'm going to really try to stay on top of this blogging business this summer since I don't have anything else to do. So, everyone who reads audiosurface on a regular basis (i know there are a lot of you out there), be prepared for more than 2 updates a month. Without further ado, here are some newish mp3's that I like to listen to:
This is from the Warm and Scratchy compilation by the folks at Adult Swim . Available for free download on their website, the album also features TV on the Radio, Asobi Seksu, and 120 Days (those nutty Europeans who opened for Ratatat that one time).
Broken Social Scene Canada Vs. America
WOOO. From the new album Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner
Shapes and Sizes - Alone/Alive
All you computer savvy kids out there probably already have this one, but here it is anyway:
The Go! Team - Grip Like a Vice
I HIGHLY reccomend the new Electrelane album No Shouts, No Calls. I had a hard time picking just one track to put up.
Electrelane - To the East
Alela Diane - Pieces of String
this here's Alela Diane's "Pieces of String" off her latest album The Pirate's Gospel. I haven't really heard much about her, but apparently she lives in Portland and is on the Holocene record label. This is a great song, with a fitting video.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Track Review - Ratatat remixes vol. II "Glock Nines (Jay-Z & Beanie Sigel)
Holy mackeral. So not only are most these remixes are "Dope as Fuck", I can't stop listening to a few of them. One of the first things that occured to me while listening to this was, why did they waste their time with classics, yeah its good, but its no s/t they should stick to what they are good at: remixes. Horns+strings+ ratatat drums n geetars n shit + Jay-Z n Beanie? Gawdamn! Do whatever you need to get your slimey hands on this. pronto.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
heartbreaker
this disappoints me.
i didn't even realize there was a comment on this until right now. blogger should have sent me an email or something. is this kate aka katie aka kathleen? that was a pretty vague post on my part, so i shall elaborate. about 2 years ago, i giddily bought this cd/dvd combo with [potentially] unrealistic expectations. the cd is actually really good (18 minutes of willie deadwilder!!), but the dvd is what disappoints me. what could have been amazing was ultimately diluted with incredibly poor sound quality. i realize it's set in nature and it's supposed to sound accordingly so, but sometimes the grasshoppers, crickets, birds, and other fauna are louder than chan. basically, turn up the music and turn down the ambient noise.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Feist - The Reminder
Let me preface this by saying I found Feist's debut Let it Die enjoyable, but by no means impressive. What was impressive was seeing her live. Dressed in all white she sang like a goddess and firmly put to sleep any doubts as to whether her talents were a fluke or accident. On The Reminder she has achieved something truly special, something to be cherished. The ghosts of many greats (and not so greats, (but still great in their own way)) float in and out of this record making their presence known only to slip away and take on some other form. On "Brandy Alexander" which starts out with reverby kick and some snaps slowly takes on more instruments piano and strings whose placement Van Morrison would certainly deem great. Feist's lyrics fit so well it hurts sometimes when she sings "It goes down easy," pretty much effortlessly.
If there is something wrong with this record it's that it feels like shes still hiding something, like she is telling the truth but leaving out the part that might get her into trouble. On "I Feel It All" Tom Petty shines through but never enough to be considered a rip-off. This song's feeling of vastness exemplifies the same feeling that can be found throughout the entire album. What at first seems to stick out like a sore thumb "My Moon My Man" containing a typical ABBA chorus "Take it slow, take it easy on me" floats effortlessly into flourishes of some kind of wind instrument only to be to quickly stripped down again to the bare bones drums and bass of the song which are so infectiously headnod inducing one might just start dancing in public.
The album floats between pop and folk always maintaining an expansive sound, and just like it will make you dance, songs like the "The Park" better damn well make you at least shed one little tear for this beautiful songbird. The title of this album hits the nail on the head The Reminder is just that, a reminder of moments good and bad in the past but also that they will come again in the future.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Live Review - Shaky Hands@the artistery
If facial hair is an accurate way to measure talent/indieishness of a band these guys would get an 11. Lets just say they are hairy. Either way these guys are good which is actually saying a lot. The whole two guitarists, one bassist, one drummer setup has severe consequences for most bands: simply that, they sound like most bands. However these guys manage to do what should be nearly impossible these days, and that is to take that line-up and come up with something sprite likes to refer to as "cool, crisp, and refreshing" (just wait until I actually get paid to write, hoh boy). Anyway, to make short story even shorter, the up-tempo half-the-time-happy-in-a-flaming-lips-sort-of-way band can rock and make you smile and jiggle around which is usually a good recipe for success.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Laura Veirs - Saltbreakers
While Laura Veirs has yet to explode onto the scene like Regina Spektor or Joanna Newsom, she’s quickly become one of the finest singer-songwriters of the last few years. Saltbreakers, her third full-length on Nonesuch, is full of warm, honest songs fluctuating between barebones folk and full-on rock mode. Veirs’ vocals are at once accessible and memorable and her enthusiasm is palpable. The album features a fantastic reworking of the song “Cast a Hook in Me” originally released on a 2006 Kill Rock Stars compilation. I like this album, you’ll like this album, old folks will like this album, errbody will.
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
This is a bit of an exaggeration of distaste. I wrote it for the "Reeks" half of a Rocks Vs. Reeks column. Enjoy.
Modest Mouse aren’t so modestly mousy anymore, with a number one album and expensive music videos to boot. Its just a shame that one of their worst albums is already their most popular. The band, still floating on the success of their last album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News, released the single “Dashboard” weeks before the new album dropped. Teeny boppers tuned into their local top 40 station to hear a toe-tapping dance track with (the self-mutilating?!) Isaac Brock doing his usual mumbling and shouting. I’ll be honest, I like the song. All you Moon and Antarctica stalwarts need to lighten up and shake your asses. As for the rest of the album, I’ve nothing but criticisms. The first track, “March into the Sea”, is reminiscent of a Unicorns b-side. And the vocals sound like a surly boozehound being hauled off to the drunk tank. I can only assume the song “Fire it Up” is tongue in cheek, as the band crafts one of the most boring songs of the year. On “Missed the Boat” (ooh, the album has a nautical theme!!), the boys appear desperate in their attempts in incite a feel-good sing-along. There are a handful of moments on the album that hint at the now-latent greatness Modest Mouse is capable of, but these moments are few and far between. With all the hype, money, Johnny Marr, and James Mercer being stirred into the pot, I assumed the result would be something tastier than this. I was wrong.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
"How you gon be broke and your last name Price?/Thats like, sweatin bullets and your nickname ice."
Sean Price aka "The Grimey Boot Man" aka "The Brokest Rapper You Know" has a new video on myspace for "Mess You Made" probably one P's most sincere, accessible and sadly funny songs to date. check it out.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Do What You Do
A couple of titillating news items:
- Talib Kweli goes gangsta-beefin Weird Al' all over Mims' "This is Why I'm Hot" with his version entitled "Niggas Lie A Lot". It would seem that Kweli is attacking easy prey in the hyper-boastful Mims, but he makes it clear that he's not interested in bullying, but policing. Protecting and serving the public from wack mc's making inflated claims of their "hotness" and "flyness".
Kweli and Mims aside -- this beat is SO filthy. PEEP IT
- Remixes are everywhere these days, but a quick roundup of the latest and greatest:
Bone Thugs N' Harmony - Ecstasy (Copy Remix)
The Bird and the Bee - Fucking Boyfriend (Peaches Remix)
Feist - My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix)
Clipse - Mr Me Too (Z.A.K. Remix)
Notorious B.I.G. - Party and Bullshit (Ratatat Remix)
- New Timbaland album means good things - one of which is the track "Oh, Timbaland" which samples Nina Simone's classic "Sinnerman". Tim isn't much of a rapper, but boy oh boy his production is butter. Also, I think Talib Kweli sampled "Sinnerman" in his song "Get By" a few years back. Aaaand we've come full circle.
**Be on the lookout for a Ratatat show review from both Dylan and myself sometime in the near future. **
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Remember the first time you heard "Daft Punk is Playing at my House"?
Remember how good that felt? Remember how it was on repeat for maybe a little too long?
Well, needless to say, the ante hath been upped with LCD Soundsystem's second full length album. What if I told you that you could now get an album of near perfect dance-rock proportions? Sound of Silver comes from a world where synths, guitars, drum machines, samples, vocals and many more live in perfect harmony with eachother swaying back and forth in the breeze but still to the beat. I would write more, but guess what?
I have to go dance, by myself. yeah. whoa. cya.
Cadillac Escapades
[NEWS FLASH]: Just a minute ago, I was sitting here surfing the internets and, as always, the constant hum of the television provided a comforting blanket of white noise in the background. This time, the banality was broken by a gem from The Album Leaf. Unsurprisingly, I was surprised and went to investigate. Turns out, the song was being used for a Cadillac commercial to adorn their claims of low APR's and dismal MPG's. I'm not going to rant about selling out or any of that biznezz, as the accusation has been previously oft cast, and the bands have already received many malignant and disparaging criticisms. I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed.
On a related note, I also recently heard an Animal Collective song on a Crayola commercial.
See Album Leaf?
There's a right way and a wrong way to do this sort of thing.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
PDX POP!
Yeah, it's that time of year again, time to get off your fixie, put down your vegan sandwhich and go to PDX POP's website and request your favorite rose city bands.
Last years bands included:
Copy
Strength
Small Sails
Were From Japan!
...Worms
Horse Feathers
Thanksgiving
Yacht
Wet Confetti
Nice Nice
whew!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
k-os - Atlantis (Hymns for Disco) 6.5/10
k-os is huge in Canada. His last album went platinum and he has received several Juno awards (Canadian equivalent of the Grammy). But his lack of widespread success in the U.S. can be attributed to his critique of the mainstream hip hop that all know and love so much. On his latest album, he’s done away with the lyrical dissention, but continues to defy traditional genres. k-os is a talented producer and a fairly proficient rapper, but he does a hell of a lot of singing on this album and the result is a slew of boring, lackluster tunes. Atlantis indeed, as not even special guest / Nova Scotian wunderkind Buck 65 can save this lost empire.
Air - Pocket Symphony 9.1/10
French electronic duo Air make soundtracks to accompany your mysteriously bizarre dreams. With the help of Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Air has succeeded once again in creating a gorgeously conceived and crafted album. The 12 songs weave in and out of each other hypnotically with downtempo beats and delicate instrumentation. Pulp front-man Jarvis Cocker contributes breathy, self-assured vocals on the song “One Hell of a Party”, which, combined with Air’s new affinity for obscure Japanese instruments, highlights Air’s musical progression.
Let's Go Sailing - The Chaos in Order 8.9/10
Let’s get the name dropping out of the way. Courtney Love once joined them onstage for a song, and the Flaming Lips played their demos at their shows in between sets. Singer/songwriter Shana Levy has performed with Rilo Kiley and Dios Malos. Tanya Haden, member of Silversun Pickups and wife to the more famous half of Tenacious D, plays cello on the album. Now, Let’s Go Sailing. This delightful indie pop outfit make songs about love and loss and they do it with the greatest of ease. And, since it is chamber pop: Hark, the strings soar and the fair maiden’s wistful voice is layered in rapturous harmony; this is true splendor.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
The Arcade Fire: Neon Bible 7.3/10
I often make the mistake of equating epic with grand, which then quickly leads me to great. Now if this little formula were to be applied The Arcade Fire's new album, it would end up being a 15/10 or something totally ridiculous. This album is epic to the point were it becomes a parody of itself. Somehow this is both a strength and weakness of the album. Neon Bible is what happens, apparently, when The Arcade Fire go out of their neighborhood for the first time and see the world with naive eyes. It seems that they realized the world is bigger than the 5 blocks they comfortably inhabited on Funeral. Songs like Intervention and No Cars Go are where The Arcade Fire truly shine. Releasing a barrage of organs, horns, choirs, strings (the works folks, the works). No Cars Go is Sufjan-esque indeed, but it is unequivocally their own which is what is great about this band: their ability to repeatedly and successfully incorporate a wide variety of influences into something wholly unique.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Still alive. Anyone reading?
So 2007 has been whoa... so far. Lets do a quick little recap:
Menomena's new album Friend and Foe is phenomenal.
Arcade Fire's Neon Bible is... good.
Sparklhorse's newest endeavor is 7/10
Copy's new album came out today, lookout for a review of that very soon as well as the new air album.
If you haven't already, checkout Strength, really good stuff.
If you have money go to coachella, if you have less money go to sasquatch.
peace.
-Dyl
Friday, January 26, 2007
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